How do you differentiate one candidate from another?
Everybody complains that politicians are “all alike.” And they’re not completely wrong. One of the hallmarks of Philippine politics seems to be how remarkably alike each political party defines itself and its mission to be. This has made switching parties too easy, leaving voters with no practical recourse other than to vote on the basis of personalities. Thus, most candidates have increasingly turned to political narratives, both as a means to set themselves apart from others and as a way to appeal to voters.
Given the rising prevalence of this strategy, voter education should take the time to instruct voters on political narratives; specifically, on what it is, how it works, and when necessary – as Hemmingway put it – how to activate their bullshit detectors.
A political narrative is essentially a story told in a way that is intended to help voters understand certain political realities, and – more importantly – to define the characters affecting that reality. They have three main elements: two protagonists and a problem that needs to be solved. The narrative presents the problem (such as poverty, for instance) as a burden to one protagonist (the voter) and to introduce the other protagonist (the politician) as the one who is uniquely suited to be the hero fighting the problem, and who will dive into that role with zeal. In other words, narratives are intended to put the candidate’s best foot forward.
Unfortunately, this structure, by it’s very nature, only tells part of the story – the one which best serves the interest of the story-teller. But the incompleteness of the narrative is actually its genius. Once the flow of the narrative is established, people who accept it as true are now free to re-mix the story by adding in elements that are personally resonant with them. In other words, people who buy into the narrative can make it their own. And that sense of ownership is powerful mojo.
On the downside, an effective narrative tends to induce a kind of tunnel-vision in voters, reducing the wide range of issues and concerns an elected official has to address to a handful of bullet points and slogans. This predisposes voters to accepting blanket assurances and motherhood statements from elected officials, on those other issues. Worse, voters might not even have any idea what positions their elected representatives will take!
Yes, a good narrative will help the voter tell politicians apart. But because narratives are so powerful and potentially misleading, woke voters must not simply accept the narrative, but assess them as objectively as possible.
Reject narratives that are too narrowly focused on one or two subjects – remember, once in office, an elected official will be called upon to work on many things beyond just his pet peeves. Be wary of narratives that are being used to re-define reality, rather than simply articulating some aspects of it – remember, the narrative only tells part of the story, not the whole thing.
And finally, voters must not surrender their own judgment no matter how loud the chorus gets, whether or not you’re actually in the choir – remember, your election day choices have ramifications that go beyond your personal interests and biases.